Valencian GP: Michelin race notes

KING NICKY WINS ANOTHER WORLD TITLE FOR MICHELIN
Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) won Michelin's 26th
premier-class World Championship at Valencia today after the most
exciting MotoGP season ever. The American's success completed...

KING NICKY WINS ANOTHER WORLD TITLE FOR MICHELIN

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) won Michelin's 26th
premier-class World Championship at Valencia today after the most
exciting MotoGP season ever. The American's success completed Michelin's
100 per cent record in the five 990cc MotoGP World Championships and
also secured its 15th consecutive premier-class crown.

2006 has been another year of phenomenal success for Michelin. The
French tyre brand has won 13 of the year's 17 races, taken 11 pole
positions, scored 12 fastest laps, filled 40 of 51 podium places and
taken eight of the top nine World Championship positions.

Hayden won his first world title with a perfectly judged ride to third
place this afternoon, after sole title rival Valentino Rossi (Gauloises
Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin) spoiled his chances by sliding off on lap five.
The Italian, winner of the previous five premier-class titles, remounted
to finish 13th and end the season just five points down on Hayden.

"Today was another dramatic day in what has been a dramatic season, our
congratulations to Nicky for doing a great job," said Nicolas Goubert,
who completed his stint as Michelin's director of motorcycle racing
today, passing the baton to his successor Jean-Philippe Weber. "This has
been another great season for us. The lap times kept improving during
2006, as they have done throughout the 990cc era, and I'm really happy
that we have maintained the advantage in MotoGP that we had in 500 GPs.
The world's three major motorcycle tyre manufacturers now compete head
to head in MotoGP but we still come out well ahead every year, and that
is something of which we are very proud. We had many good performances
in 2006 and it was particularly good to win at Sepang, where we got
beaten in 2005. Also, we have never been beaten in a wet MotoGP race!"

Hayden, winner of three MotoGP races with Michelin, said: "I'm still
looking at the race results to make sure I'm not dreaming, but dreams do
come true! Thanks to all the people who've been behind me - my family,
my friends, Repsol Honda, Michelin, everyone. Michelin don't win all
these races and world titles by being lucky, they put in the work and
take the information from the riders. We've seen a lot of improvements
since I first came to MotoGP, like the bigger front and the wider
profile rears. I was the first guy to race the wider profile front
last year, it gives me a lot more confidence and grip, especially into
downhill corners. When I started using it last year my results really
improved. The 2006 rear made a big difference for me because it gives
more and when we started using this year's bike we were looking for more
edge grip. I liked it as soon as I got on it."

Michelin has scored more than 350 victories in premier-class
motorcycling racing since 1973.